Grooming Jihadists: The Ladder of Radicalization and Its Antidote

What you find is that behind every jihadist, who usually starts out as a young, often angry, Muslim seeking a purpose, lies a pulpit ideologue promising rewards and threatening punishments both on earth and in the afterlife.

Violent jihad may be postponed not out of concern for its victims, but rather if it might adversely affect a Muslim community. This view is frequently mistaken as "moderate."

Use the press and social media to expose young Muslims to facts other than those they are fed in mosques and the textbooks of their native countries, including the humanistic values of the West, such as freedom of speech and of the press; equal justice under the law -- especially due process and the presumption of innocence; property rights; separation of religion and state; an independent judiciary; an independent educational system and freedom of religion and from religion -- for a start.

On March 22, when Khalid Masood rammed his vehicle into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London before attempting to stab his way to the Parliament building, it was as if the heart and soul of British democracy were under assault.

As horrifying as the terrorist attack was, however -- murdering four innocent people and wounding scores of others -- it belied the magnitude of a much larger problem that has been plaguing Europe and creeping up on the rest of the West. Jihadists committing murder in the name of Islam have left a trail of blood across North America, the Middle East, Australia, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe.

Police officers stand guard on London's Westminster Bridge on March 29, 2017, a week after Khalid Masood began his murderous car-ramming and stabbing attack at the site. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

In November 2015, a suicide-bombing and shooting spree in Paris left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded; in March 2016, three coordinated suicide bombings targeting travelers in Brussels killed 32 and wounded hundreds; and last December, a truck-ramming at the Christmas market in Berlin left 12 people dead and another 56 injured.

These were just a few of the successful attacks; those thwarted were more numerous.

France's prime minister said last September that authorities were foiling plots "daily," while some 15,000 people "in the process of radicalization" were being monitored. Last year, British security services prevented no fewer than 12 other assaults.

The average European now knows the names of Masood and those of other publicized terrorists. But few in the West are familiar with the many people who put those terrorists on their path by leading them up the rungs of a ladder of radicalization.

If you spend hours listening to speeches and sermons -- and reading countless articles by "respectable" local imams, community leaders and Islamic scholars -- you can see a pattern emerge. What you find is that behind every jihadist, who usually starts out as a young, often angry, Muslim seeking a purpose, lies a pulpit ideologue promising rewards and threatening punishments both on earth and in the afterlife.

The following is a description of the ladder of radicalization, based on material from 45 detailed case studies, covering the period 2012-2015, compiled by the author from U.K. government sources:

A radical preacher commonly employs theological "carrots and sticks" as a spur to action. He attempts to terrorize audiences with passages from religious literature about the horrors of hell. He shames those he brands complacent or reluctant to engage in jihad, and instills a heightened sense of crisis. He does this while harping on the notion of Muslim superiority and providing an idealized reading of history that emphasizes "glorious Islamic conquests."

The preacher quotes passages from the Quran and hadith [the sayings and deeds of Muhammad], gradually ratcheting up his rhetoric until openly calling for the restoration of the caliphate through global jihad. The preacher determines whether jihad is beneficial at a given time -- or whether it needs to be deferred -- depending on the clout a Muslim community has attained in a host country or culture. In other words, he decides whether to "declare jihad" based on what he deems possible for the Muslim ummah [community] at that time. Violent jihad may be postponed not out of concern for its victims, but rather if it might adversely affect a Muslim community. This view is frequently mistaken as "moderate."

The preacher presents stark, simplistic choices, cornering his audience into accepting his particular reading of Islam, and leaving no option but jihad. He does this by using language that evokes gut emotions. He presents the Quran, hadiths and Islamic history in a way he knows his audience is in no position to challenge. He juxtaposes, for instance, incidents in Muhammad's life to explain modern geopolitics -- such as the Arab-Israeli conflict -- and that point to a particular course of action. Or he uses ancient Islamic conquests as an inspirational model for current jihadist attacks against the West.

At the root of such preaching is a totalitarian worldview. According to it, there is no distinction between private freedoms and the public good. The past and the present are on a continuum. Secular matters are meticulously "guided" by clerical judgements. The nation state, he alleges, will give way to the caliphate. Morality is stressed, but expressed more in outward appearance (such as modest dress) than as an internal spiritual goal. And he emphasizes that the purpose of public worship is to consolidate al-mumeneen (the believers) into a unified bloc in the cause of jihad -- which ultimately entails physical warfare. The underlying theme is that all "infidels" are to be held in perpetual hostility until, as is written in the Quran, "Allah's word reigns supreme."

One reason that this radicalization process has gone undetected in the West has to do with language. Imams and Islamist intellectuals use terms that are seemingly identical to those of Judeo-Christian or secular-liberal discourse, but which have an entirely different connotation in Arabic.

Salaam, "peace," means the peace that will reign only after the whole world has accepted living under the rule of Islam.

Shihada, for example, often translated as "martyrdom," usually refers to the act of those who kill or are killed in battle for a religiously-sanctioned cause. It is not a testimony of faith in laying down one's life instead of recanting under pressure.

Iman, translated as "faith," is proven by total submission to Allah, His Messenger Mohammed and the edicts of sharia as propagated by the leader. It is of great "faith" not to waver in battle against Allah's enemies.

Qassas, wrongly interpreted as "justice", often entails a sense of vindictiveness, and "eye-for-an-eye" revenge. It is also circumscribed by Islamic law, sharia: whatever is inside sharia is just; whatever is outside sharia is not just.

Fight them; Allah will torment [not "punish" as many current translations claim] them by your hands... and will give you victory over them and satisfy the breasts (give a great sense of satisfaction, relief) of a believing people. -- Quran, 9:14, after Sahih International

Power is elevated as an Allah-given right to the believers, whereas humility is scorned as a sign of weakness. The goal toward which you are urged to aspire is not equality but ascendancy.

It is a matter of ihssan, or "benevolence" of Muslims that they tolerate the life and severely limited "liberties" of dhimmis (subjugated non-Muslims) so long as the latter pay a "protection" tax, the jizya, and abide by a covenant of inferiority "while feeling themselves subdued". In a state ruled by sharia, equal citizenship between Muslims and non-Muslims is unthinkable.

To challenge Islam's authority, its prophet's character or received tradition, or to critique the religion, is construed as ihanah, or "insult"; sabb-e-Rasul, "disparaging the Prophet," is a libelous offense worthy of death. Failure to accept Islam is also regarded as an "insult" that justifies attack:

As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help. -- Quran (3:56)

Counteracting the radicalization of vulnerable Muslims requires a multi-pronged effort on the part of governments, academic institutions and community leaders. Here are a few recommendations:

Discourage voluntary segregation in Muslim communities. Establish initiatives that introduce genuine multiculturalism into classrooms, neighborhoods and community centers. This is the only way that insular, extremist thought can be debated and challenged openly by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Prevent fundamentalist Muslim community leaders from hiding behind a "moderate" or "mainstream" façade. Hold preachers accountable for the content of their sermons, and make sure that what they are promoting in Arabic aligns with their public statements in English.

Subject the history of early Islam -- the conquests of Persia, the Byzantine Empire, the Middle East, North Africa, Greece, Spain and most of Eastern Europe -- to the same academic rigors to which Western history has been subjected. Do not allow a romantic view of it as a "superior" model to go unchallenged, and do not shy away from examining similarities between current and centuries-old jihadism. The same goes for religious texts and their modern-day interpretations.

Use the press and social media to expose young Muslims to facts other than those they are fed in mosques and the textbooks of their native countries, including the humanistic values of the West, such as freedom of speech and of the press; equal justice under the law -- especially due process and the presumption of innocence; property rights; separation of religion and state; an independent judiciary; an independent educational system, and freedom of religion and from religion -- for a start.

Those who preach hate simply build on ahistorical, uncontested narratives to spread the messages that inspired the Manchester, London, Paris, Brussels and Berlin terrorists and that groom the terrorists of tomorrow. When will correcting the record and addressing the root causes please start?

Saher Fares is an Arabic linguist and researcher from the Middle East.

Comment on this item

Name:

Email Address:

Comments:

Email me if someone replies to my comment

Note: Gatestone Institute greatly appreciates your comments. The editors reserve the right, however, not to publish comments containing: incitement to violence, profanity, or any broad-brush slurring of any race, ethnic group or religion. Gatestone also reserves the right to edit comments for length, clarity and grammar. All thoughtful suggestions and analyses will be gratefully considered. Commenters' email addresses will not be displayed publicly. Gatestone regrets that, because of the increasingly great volume of traffic, we are not able to publish them all.

24 Reader Comments

Solomon2 • Jun 5, 2017 at 13:31

"One reason that this radicalization process has gone undetected in the West has to do with language. Imams and Islamist intellectuals use terms that are seemingly identical to those of Judeo-Christian or secular-liberal discourse, but which have an entirely different connotation in Arabic."

Notice that this abuse of language not only is a deception but makes honest communication IN ENGLISH very difficult: words become a kind of code where different audiences have different interpretations, with the parties using different dictionaries.

Reply->

Peter D Gardner • Jun 2, 2017 at 17:49

Excellent to have such a clear recommendation on how to root out from Islam the causes of modern day terrorism, for that is where they lie. It shows that in reality it is not hard to deal with it once this root cause is recognised and accepted. Time is running out for the West.I would suggest three additional measures, the first following the key to the Christian reformation and separation of the powers of the church and state:

1) All Islamic services, sermons and teaching in schools, madrassas, anywhere, must be conducted in English.2) The Quran and Hadith should be published in an English official version, formally vetted to ensure it contains nothing that could be construed as an incitement to violence or any of the other many laws now supposedly preventing hatred and conflict.3) The laws of UK should be reviewed, especially any restricting free speech, ensuring freedom of religion, and defining the scope of the jurisdiction of religious authorities in order to ensure no exceptions are made for Islam and there are no loopholes by which any Islamic establishment, institution or leader can legally use religious law to coerce or act in any way that conflicts with UK law, including common law.

Reply->

b.a. freeman Peter D Gardner • Jun 6, 2017 at 11:03

Peter, your first and third recommendations are excellent, but the second one won't work. i encourage U to study the sunnah to see why, but the quran and ahadith are filled with clear (as in "not possible to misinterpret") instructions for robbing, killing, raping, and looting non-muslims. if U take those parts out, what is left would make little sense and have no consistency. muhammed is known as
al-insan al-kamil (the perfect man) and uswa hasana (the model of conduct for all muslims); everything that IS has done in syria, and the attacks on non-muslims by pious muslims around the world, are quite literally based on muhammed's behavior (except for the parts using modern weapons and technology). if U try to eliminate muhammed from islam, U have once again gutted it. islam can *not* be reformed.

thus, i believe that all non-citizen muslims should be deported. most of the "refugees" in europe are anything but; they are mostly economic migrants who are not from syria, and are being turned into pious muslims (vile monstrous thugs) by the lying imams who control the mosques there. any imam who can be proven to be preaching salafi islam ("salaf" means forefathers in arabic; thus, that "old-time religion" of muhammed and the first muslims) should be jailed for treason. all muslim citizens must be watched, in the same manner that u.s. authorities watched (and still watch) the italian-american community - in perpetuity, until it becomes clear that descendants are no longer muslim.

we in the west are in a battle for our lives, and even more so for the lives of our descendants. i do not wish for my children and grandchildren to grow up muslim - bereft of love, poor, unhealthy, and short-lived. there are many air-headed fools and a few traitors who have been leading our society into history's dumper; the former need to be removed from power, because they are dangerously naive, and the latter should be imprisoned for life, because the blood of *THOUSANDS* (soon to be millions, once iran gets nukes) is on their hands.

Reply->

Peter D Gardner b.a. freeman • Jun 6, 2017 at 17:55

Thank you b.a.freeman! One of the reasons I made point 2 is that it would force the imams and Muslim scholars to come clean and admit the truth about Islam. Or, if they won't, for them to be left with no sympathy outside the inner core of devout Muslims. it is analogous to calling the bluff of the propagandists of Islam as a religion of peace. What would happen at the point when even the blind could see the evil in Islam is anyone's guess. It would probably not be very nice but at some point it will have to be faced. Better early than after Islam is dominant in the West. If later the oppression, torture, humiliation and bloodshed of non-believers will be horrendous. Beyond doubt, yes, but at an unbearable cost.

Reply->

Jack Thomas • Jun 2, 2017 at 03:19

A good article which needs to be put in front of the UK electorate at every opportunity. As for the remedies we are fast running out of time and, as we see from their utterings every day, getting our politicians to accept the need and implement such actions is far from easy.

Islam is being used by the globalists to drive their agenda;they will not give up their Orwellian dreams easily.

Reply->

Bisley • Jun 1, 2017 at 18:05

Those who incite, or provide funding for terrorism are just as responsible as those who actually commit the acts. Foreign-born imams preaching terrorism should be summarily deported, and those who can't be expelled from the country should be imprisoned for promoting terrorism, and their mosques closed and confiscated in either case.

There must be penalties for this sort of action, if it is to be curtailed -- at present, the government refuses to do anything with these people. Government needs to fight radical Islam, rather than refusing to admit it exists, and if there aren't adequate laws to fight and punish these people, laws should be enacted to do it. It's not good enough to show fake "concern" and "compassion", put policemen and soldiers in the streets for show, and do nothing that actually deals with the problem.

Reply->

Bill Houston • Jun 1, 2017 at 15:13

Maybe the phrase "Separation of Church and State" should be followed by the phrase "Separation of Ideology and State".

Reply->

michael demere weeks • Jun 1, 2017 at 13:52

Thank You, SAHER FARES, hopefully your article will reach MSM, where those that need the correction will be able to read it. I only have a small spark of faith left that this will happen. WE definitely have an uphill battle, the spark of the MUSTARD SEED is needed.

Reply->

Douglas Gregory • Jun 1, 2017 at 10:22

Great summary of the threat posed by supposedly moderate islamism and the development of jihadists. Of course, the left will characterize this as islamaphobia. We have good reason to fear the spread of islamism.

Reply->

Truth Sets Free • Jun 1, 2017 at 10:12

Yes--"The same goes for religious texts and their modern-day interpretations." Muslims need to be exposed to research and scholarship on their religious texts. Ultimately, this research refutes simplistic stories that are fed to Muslims. Muslims are told that 'no letter of the Quran has ever changed'. That is false, a lie that is the equivalent of 'flat earth theory' and easy to refute. The West and East cannot be afraid to pop the bubble of islamic false facts. Allowing people to believe their 'flat earth' allows them to believe that their allah wants them to subjugate any and all criticism of their false beliefs. So we either refute this now, or there will be areas in the world were the corrections will be forbidden.

Reply->

Richard Truth Sets Free • Jun 1, 2017 at 16:49

Well said - in fact I would go further.

The best way to defend ourselves is to keep presenting the information that Islam itself is simply false.

The Sun does not set set in a muddy puddle.

Mary the Mother of Jesus could not possibly have been the sister of Moses and Aaron. A thousand years of time says no.

Add to that the many other completely ridiculous things in the Koran and then point out that it claims to be the literal word of God (unlike the bible, which is the writings of men inspired by God).

Once you have these ingredients Islam is simply unsustainable in any rational context.

Reply->

Dajjal Richard • Jun 2, 2017 at 05:55

i go further: As Dr. Ali Sina suggested, poleaxe Muslims with facts so that they become embarrassed to be associated with Allah & Moe.

One verse states that if it were not from Allah, you would find many contradictions. There are claims of 10,000 errors and contradictions in the Qur'an. Exploit them.

Exploit the fact that Moe was a rapist, murderer & extortioner. Exploit the genocide of the Banu Qurayza. Exploit the rape of Safiya and the murders of Umm Qirfa & Asma Bint Marwan.

There are Arab Christians including apostates from Islam who know hot to do that. Give them a bully pulpet and a big megaphone.

Produce a full lenngth feature film based on the sira and hadith. Make the "Innocence Of Muslims look positively hagiographic by comparison.

Take a clue from page 60 of "The Quranic Concept Of War": erode and destroy the Ummah's Iman.

Reply->

Richard Dajjal • Jun 2, 2017 at 16:17

I agree. There is one other important problem though. In the UK most people know very little history between the emperor Nero and William the conqueror. In the US I suspect it is even worse. What they do know from that era (in fact even from later times) is heavily geographically biased towards the west.

This has enabled the Islamic apologists to whitewash islamic history and pretend that the middle east was somehow peacefully converted to Islam. Of course the reality was that all these areas were conquered by the sword and in fact the majority populations did not become islamic until comparatively recently. The crusades, far from being an unprovoked attack on muslim lands were in fact a botched war of liberation for countries where, at that time a majority of Christians were subjugated by a muslim ruling class.

Your point about Arab Christians is well made - here is one candidate for the megaphone!https://medium.com/@najwa.najib/donald-trump-is-good-for-middle-eastern-christians-350f049bed62

Reply->

Andrew T. Halmay • Jun 1, 2017 at 09:32

There are existing laws that would allow the arrest of mullahs who preach hate. Societal jihad must be stopped. By introducing more specific legislation these fountainheads of hate can be totally eliminated. To be fully effective, Islam must be outlawed. It cannot be treated as another religion.

Reply->

Jack Thomas Andrew T. Halmay • Jun 2, 2017 at 03:22

I agree but Islam and the unrest that it creates is a great toll for the globalists to use in promoting their "solution".

Reply->

Dajjal Andrew T. Halmay • Jun 2, 2017 at 05:59

Outlaw Islam: easy to say but few will; very difficult to accomplish. Defrocking it is the first step. Cause governments to recognize Islam as an Arab Mafia, not a religion. Only then can they outlaw it.

Reply->

Constitutionalist • Jun 1, 2017 at 09:21

This is a supremacist "religion". It therefore does not rate 1st amendment protection. Make no mistake ISIS = Koran. "Old testament" verses banning other faiths applied only to Israel and do not establish a worldwide religion by ambush murder of women and children.

Reply->

Phillip Rosslee • Jun 1, 2017 at 09:05

And at a conservative guess there are about 300 million Islamic radicals in Muslim societies around the world. What have our Western leaders done to us in the West by inviting these people into our lives and societies.

Reply->

Pet Charles Phillip Rosslee • Jun 1, 2017 at 18:13

I have been asking that question. Who unloaded these people on Europe and America, and why aren't the people rising up in droves to protest?

Reply->

Robert John Bennett • Jun 1, 2017 at 08:21

Saher Fares writes splendidly about what is certainly the truth: "Use the press and social media to expose young Muslims to...the humanistic values of the West, such as freedom of speech and of the press...separation of religion and state; an independent judiciary; an independent educational system and freedom of religion and from religion -- for a start."

Excellent, excellent advice, but what do we do if the young Muslim is utterly convinced that "humanistic values" are nothing when compared to Allah's iron law, the Sharia?

Reply->

Richard Robert John Bennett • Jun 1, 2017 at 18:00

"what do we do if the young Muslim is utterly convinced that "humanistic values" are nothing when compared to Allah's iron law, the Sharia?"

That is why it is more sensible to convince them that Islam is nonsense that could only be believed by idiots.

Proving that your values are better is more difficult than proving that your facts are correct and theirs are simply wrong.

Reply->

Jeff Page • Jun 1, 2017 at 06:21

Brilliantly written and easy to understand. This article by Saher Fares is a complete breakdown and description of what is going on under the very noses of most governments in the Western world. Copies of this should be distributed to all politicians and they should be made to read and digest the contents, then ultimately forced to take any action necessary to put a stop to what is going on. This is exactly the sort of thing that Donald Trump was referring to when he ordered a halt to immigration from mainly Muslim countries. We all know what happened then! The lefty liberals were up in arms condemning it and crying out for the order to be lifted because it was "racist". That's the trouble with the liberal lefties, they act before thinking of the consequences that could befall their own families. They protest because they think they are doing the right thing. Unfortunately for them, they'll be the first group targeted by Islamists simply because Islam is opposed to freedom and the rights of people!

Whenever I see demonstrations happening, it always amazes me just how many idiots there really are on this planet.

There are even those who have turned from Islam stating the real intent of Muslims in the West. The vast majority will always be silent when it suits them, but should the "radicals" be successful, they will then be just as vocal and supportive of a "Caliphate" in whatever country they reside.The real truth about Islam is out there, but all the politicians want to do is listen to the lies whilst keeping their fingers crossed behind their backs!

Reply->

michael demere weeks Jeff Page • Jun 1, 2017 at 18:26

Great, a nice precise comment to an equally Great article, Thanks !

Reply->

Albert Reingewirtz • Jun 1, 2017 at 05:28

If "radicalization" happens in mosques and that radicalization causes loss of life then the solution is clear. If a food company produces dangerous food to health it receives an order to close. It is time to close those mosques despite freedom of religion just as a company manufacturing food that can harm people gets closed despite the free market policies. Less mosques then less blood in the streets.

Dr. Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani physician who helped the U.S. locate Osama bin Laden, has been in jail in Pakistan since he was arrested days after the raid on bin Laden's compound in 2011. In 2013, he was granted a retrial, with a new charge that appears politically motivated: charged with murder in regard to the death, eight years earlier, of a patient he had treated. Afridi has gone on a hunger strike protest his unspeakable prison conditions -- including torture. His former lawyer, Samiullah Khan Afridi, was murdered by the Taliban in March 2015. The Obama Administration appears to have abandoned him.